Loose-sheet holder



Feb. 4, 1930. J. EIFEL LOOSE SHEET HOLDER Filed Dec. 17, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 4, 1930. J. EIFEL 1,745,663

LOOSE SHEET HOLDER Filed Dec. 17. 1921 a Sheets-Sheet 2 i Figure 2 is a similar view of the device in -lin'e l 4@ ofFigure 1, looking in the direction Patented Feb. 4, 1930 i PATE NT 1 OFFICE JOSEPH EIEEL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS LOOSE-SHEET HOLDER.

' present invention relates to, paper 4 files,binders and the like. I :Among the primary objects of the inven tion fare toimprove the class of paper files 5 and the like generally, including a base memv j berhaving projectingpins or posts thereon for receiving thecsheets of paper. c The presentimprovement includes a novel arrangement of filing posts which are relatively reclQ tilinearly movable, and the planes of movement of which are coincidental to eachother, togetherwith the mechanism for so moving the filing posts that their respective ends abut and afford a smooth joint when closed; to provide a deviceof the character outlinedabove,

c which includes a minimum number of moving parts, is simple and compact and is a complete unit itself; to provide a device embodying the improved principle of operation and structural arrangement set forth herein which may be quickly installed as a unit,may be manufactured at low cost, is durable and is f capable of quick and facile manipulation, to-

" gether with such further and additional ob out. w v c attaining the objects suggested as wellas certain further benefits and advantages to be belowdisclosed, I have provided a construc- 30 tion, one embodiment of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan of a preferred form of the device of my invention in closed position; i i

open position; v

-.":Figure;3 is a sideelevation,certain parts thereof being broken away;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on the v V f the arrows, certainparts thereof being brokenaway;

. 7' F gure 5is a' longitutlinal semen taken on' 45 tlie l'ine 5 -5 ofFigurel, looking in the directioii'o fthe arrows,- certain -parts being broken aways! we: i p Figure 6 is a similar view taken on the line of Figural, looking in the direction of 5 the arrows; and

25 jectsas may hereinafter appear, or be pointed [Figure 7 is a fragmental elevational view looking from the right-hand side of Figure 1. The invention in preferred form includes,

with a suitable base member, a pair of supporting plates mounted on said base substantially in a common horizontal plane for relative movement and carrying the filing posts, a so-called lazy-tongs element connecting the, plates, one of the latter being fixedly secured to the base member; suitable locking means being associated with the lazy-tongs mechanism for retaining the posts in open or closed positions. In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in the drawings, described in detail later, an expansion spring is provided for separating the plates laterally, to open the device, but it will be observed that the functioning of the spring may be reversed, if desired, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, I employ conveniently a rectangular base-board, 10, which is of a suitable form, and shape, that is, length and width depending on the purpose contemplated and size desired, the device of my invention being generally placed at, or near, one end, as shown. In the preferred embodiment, a substantially rectangular plate, 11, is fixedly secured by screws, 12, to the board, this fixed plate hav- 0 ing a movable plate, 13, connected thereto through a lazy-tongs element, generally designated at 14.

The contiguous side margins of the plates 11 and 13 may be offset, as at 15 and 16, respectively, to' provide marginal flanges 17 and 18, respectively, raised from the board, 10, andtproviding bearingsfor the lazy-tongs, and] for an additional purpose which will presently appear.

A'palr of spaced upstanding posts, 1919, 7

The plate 13 carries spaced posts 23-23,

complemental to the posts 19-19, and curved toward the latter. The posts 2323 terminate with straight horizontal portions 24324, pins 2525 being threaded into said portions 241-21 The outer projecting ends of the pins 2525 are semi-spherical and are adapte' dto se at'in the sockets 22-22 when the filing device is closed (Figure 3)." Thus, when closed, thejointbetweentheposts19 19 and 2323 is practically continuous vwith no 1 links 27 ahd 28, pivotallyconnected at their niefdial portions byjav in 29. The medial portions 30 and 31 are disk-like in shape and have relatively ofiisetr'adial arms 32, 33'a'nd and 35, respectively, extending therefrom, said arms having their respective outer margins substantially tangential to the peripheral margins i l me a port The fee ends f the arm 33 and are pivotally connected to the top surface for the flanges 17, and 18, by means'of rivets 36 and 37, lrespectively, while the free ends of the atm sez ana are pivotally and slidably connected bymeans of rivets '38 and 39 to the afigs 117 and 8, resp tiv yq 0% 31. provided in the flangesl7 and 18 to per- Iiiit offsuch a pivotal sliding connection. 7 I

, Th pin 2918 provided with a smooth shank I and areduced 'threaded under portion 29, re-

ceiving a nut 41 having a; grooved periphery receiving the 1 142 of an expansion spring having divergent arms 43 and 14 which bear,

respectively, upon the shoulders formed by offsetting the plates 11 and 12, thus tending to separate the plate's, p p a s "wi l be een. rQ 1 g a d he smooth shankjprojects beyond the under disk dportionand receives ja spacing Washer/15', disposed between the nut 41 and said disk por- The lo s 10%0 insu th he p at 13 will, throughout its'inovement,1 be parallel to there-tell, th t. hen he p es fife brought intopro X-iinity; the 25dwillac curately engage 'intheir respective sockets. c A518 perhaps best shown in Figure 2, the marginotthe flanges 17 and '18 are provided with emr emen al f misir ju rre S 46 embracing the pin 29 and washer when the v ceis 9$e 1-, w The locking meanspreferably comprisesan angular lever 47 having'its shorter portion 48 pivoted at its end at 49 onthe arm 34, the longer portion 50 of said lever extending transversely and from one side of the filing device, a suitable knob 51 being carried by saidarn 50 and servingas a han dle. A curved plate 52 is mounted rigidly on the arm 32 by rivets 53, the curvature of the plate being described from the axis of the pin 29.

Detents .54: and 55 project from the outer edge of the plate 52, and engage in a recess 56 a 7 in the lever 47 ,near the junction of the portions thereof, and the edge of the lever adjacent each sideot said notch is inclined as at 57, the lever riding on these edges against and into engagement withone or the other fian U .v ,1

The flange 17 is eirtended at 58 and providedwit-h anup'standing leg 5 9 to which is riveted a fiat spring IGOfbea'ring against the inner margin of the portion50ofsaidlever.

The operation of the present device enid'y g my in n -i s, as f ows :v

Assuming thetdevice to be open, the paper p p y Punc d is pl c d Ov t e pos 19. To close the device, pressureis applied to the lever 50 against thetension time spring 60 and thedevice is unlocked. One ha i the posts 19 nd 23 r h ped wee hefirefihge d thumb i n hand and pressure applied,thus moving the plate l3fand posts 23 -23 toward plate 11 clomplfeni'ental posts 19%19, until said posts engage, h u fi the def ttije gages the notch 56 and the device-is locked closed. It

will be observed thati'the plates movin in the 7 same horizontal plane insure that the posts will hedisplacedin a path parallel to said plane or movement, fVVhile' a preferred embodinient of'my invention hasbeen described, I reserve the right tomodify the structure where necessary for the sake "of mechanical refinement 7 without departing 'jfrom the es;- s'ence oft-he invention and scopeof the claims.

To open the device, pressure is applied to the arm 50 and the detent 54 is thus disengaged from the notch 56. This procedure releases the plate 13, and under the tension of the spring arms 13 said'plate: is moved out- I wardly and-the device is opened. '7 :When the limit of outer movement is reached-'thefplate I 13 is locked by the detent 54 engaging the notch 56;

Havingthus describedmy invention and illustrated itsjuse, what I claimasnew and e e to secure y Let e s Pa ent s f 1( In combination,'a base member, a pair of relatively movable plateson-said base member, com lemenais'e aieb e filing niernbers onsaid plates, and m a 'operttivel countai'ng said plates for "automatically"movingo'iie of said plates yvay from the other plates 1, id aseme i bjer-r 2: 'In combinat om a haise nie in relatively movablepla'tes on nier'n separable filmg members, a base member on ber, complemental separable filing members onsaid plates, means for automatically moving one of said plates on said base member 4 to open said filing members, and locking 5 means associated therewith for holding said plates in the extreme limits of relative movement. 3. In Combination, a base member,a pair 7 of. relatively movable plates on said base member, complemental separable filing members on said plates, means for automatically 'moving one of said plates on said base memher to open or close said filing members, and means for automatically locking said movable plate inthe extreme limits of its movement. 7 p

4. In combination, a base member, a pair of relatively movable plates on said base member, complemental separable filing members 5 on said plates, one of said plates being manually movable to close them, and means operatively connecting both plates for automatically moving said movable plate inthe opposite direction.

5. In a filing device, complemental pairs of which said filing members are mounted, said I latter members being manually movable toward each other, means for automatically 0 moving said members away from each other, and locking means associated therewith for locking said plates in both of their relative limits of movement.

I Y 6. In a filing device, complemental pairs of 5 separable filing members, a base member on which said filing members are mounted, said filing members being manually movable in one direction, means for automatically move means for automatically relatively moving I said members in said common plane in one direction, and spring-actuated means for 7 locking said members at the limits of'relative movement thereof. 5 9; In a filing device, separable opposed filing members arranged in a common plane, spring-actuated means for relatively moving said members in said common plane in one di- 'rection', and means for locking said members 6 at the-limits of relative movement thereof.

vl0. In a filing device, separable opposed filing members arranged in a common plane, spring-actuated means for relatively moving 7 said members in said common plane in one direction, and spring-actuated means for ing said filing members relatively in another lockingsaid members at the limits of relative movement thereof. r p

i 11." In combination, a base member, a plate fixedlyjmounted on said base member, a second plate movable on said baseboard in a plane coincident with said fixed plate, a

lazy-tong element connecting said plates, fil

ing posts in said plates, and means for'locking said second plate in the limits of movement thereof. p

12. In combination, a base member, a plate fixedly mounted on said base member, a second plate movable on said basemember in a plane coincident with said fixed plate, a lazytong element connecting said plates, complemental posts on said plates adapted to abut and connect, and means for locking said movable plate in the limits of movement thereof. 13. In combination, a base member, a plate fixedly mounted on saidbase member, a second'plate movable on said basemember in a plane coincident with said fixed plate, a lazytong element connecting said plates, filing posts in said plates, and means'on said lazytong element for locking the same and said plates. i

14. In combination, a base member, a plate fixedly mounted on the surface of said base member, a second plate movable on said base member, a projecting post carried by one of said plates, a curved post carried by the other plate and complemental to the first-mentioned post, one of said posts terminating in a curved socket and abutting the end of the other post, and a pin on the extremity of the other of said posts for engagement in said curved socket whereby to provide a substantially continuous curved portion adjacent to thejoint.

15. In combination, a base member, a plate fixedly mounted on the surface of said base member, a second plate movable on said base member, a pair of projecting posts carried by one of said plates, complemental curved posts carried bythe other plate, one of said posts terminating in sockets, pins on the extremities ofthe other of said posts for'engaging in said sockets,spring means tending to maintain said plates in, a predetermined position, and locking means for said'pl'ates.

I 16. In combination, a base member,aplate fixedly mountedon the surface of said base member, a second plate movable on said base member, a pair of projecting posts carried by one of said plates, complemental curved posts carried by the other plate, lazy-tongs connecting said plates andcomprising links pivotally connected 'at their media-l portions affording arms, and locking means for said arms.

. '17 In combination, abase member, a plate fixedly mounted on the surface of said'base member," a second plate movable on said base member, a pair of projecting posts carried by oneof said plates, complemental curved post-s carried by the other plate, flanges on the 

